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Cotton Seed Huller. Nb. 26,372.- Patented Dec. 6; "1859.

Wtne sse s In butbr' 2 SheetsSheet 2.

C. A. LOWBER.

Cotton Seed Huller. No. 26,372 Paiented Dec 6, 1 859.

Witnesses:

N. miss mummm Wuh ngm u a UNITED STATES R SA- EW'YQRK,

IMPROVEMENT, j

Specification forming part of Letters Patent 6,372, dated Deeemberfj, 1859.

To all whom it may concerrt: Be it known that I, CHARLES A. LOWBER, of. Medina, Orleans county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Machine for Hulling Cotton-Seed; and I do herei by declare that the following is a full, clear, l

and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a plan; Fig. 2, a side elevation; Fig. 3, a vertical section. takenat the lineA a of Fig. 2; Fig. 4:, another section taken at the line B b of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5, a section taken at the line 0 c of Fig. 4, torepreseut l j q i which in the cross-section represent thefojrm l,

form of the teeth.

The same letters indicate like parts in all. j i.

' i pteeth in each segmentplateyone:set, Z, c

the figures.

The object of my invention is to remove the hull from cotton-seed without expressing oil from the kernel. There have been many at tempts to produce a machine which would accomplish this desirable purpose; but, so: far

as I am informed, without ,success. All the machines which have been tried for this purpose prior to my invention have failed of success because the mode of operation was not adapted to the peculiar propertiesof cotton-seed, the kernel of which is" Wax-like and readily yields its contained oil whengsirbject ed topressure or attrition. To effect the desired purpose the mechanism must act on the f hull only, and not on the kernel, for whenthis is broken or is made toyield' any portion of its oil, not only is the seed injured for conimercial purposes, but the mechanism soon be comes so much cloggedthat its operation must be necessarily suspended until cleansed, which I is attended with serious difficulties, tosay; nothing of the waste of time. All these g culties are avoided by my invention, ashere. y A I of the seedsas the'lfruil is being stripped} oh;

in'after described.

In the accompanying drawings, a represents 3 a suitable frame, and b a metallic runner on a 3 vertical shaft, 0, the lower journal of which turns in a step, d, in an adjustable cross-tree," 6, one end'of which turns on a fulcrum-pin, f,

in'the frame, and the other end connected with a rod, 9, the upper end of which-is fitg creased at pleasure. Above 7 ted with an adj ustin g-nut, by means-whereof the elevation of the runner can ,be readily and accurately adjusted. This shaft isprovided with a bevel-wheel, h, the cogs of which engage the cogsof a "corresponding bevelalthough the number of segnierilrp 1 wheel, i, on a horiaontal driving-shaft,j, pro v videdwith a fast and' loose pulley, orotherl suitable means for communicating, mqnon. Thenpper surface of the runnerb-is conical; from the hub to the periphery, and at a short 1 distance from the peripheryfit is formediwithi 1 I an annular groove to receive segment-platesIt; l 1 j which I prefer to make of steel. These plates are. secured in place by screws, which "through holesiiii theru-nner, and are tapped; i i into the said segment-plateaso that theycan 3 a 1 be readily taken outia nd replaced by other 1- I The upper surface of the jsegment-plates,1s 1 formed with a series of teeth; orfurrowsfl, 1

tending the whole Wid'iih? ,of each ,plate,w1thep; i second set, 1, a little shorte gqandw'the third l set, l, stilt shorter that sto say, extendi a about two=thirds thewidth; and thesethree sets I prefer to arrange as representediirlfi i I 1 4thati s-,first onellong 011e,};thenashortjone l I, then a'mediunr one, I, thenashortone a l and then a long one,,l!, andjso on to trees ofv: i, I l each segment-piateyandthese teeth are a rangedinsections,asrepresentedgthat is, w i giniii ng at the rear end off ieachsectionythe; first to'otlrisradial, and th fothersflnsteadioffi beingradialor parall "ththe firsfiareeachl f l in succession inclined a li e rnore,s,otliatthew last in each sectionistaugentto" cleof about half thediameter ofithe runner, there j 1 making the furrows or channels: a little wider at the inner than at the, outerend; the pjarallelgijsni of the cutting-edges and, ofthe surfa of the runner of thatp t of the plate a which is armed with jcnttihg ages e gp iy deviated'from'ina verysl" degree tojcorrespond with the gradual r'ea enon of mes but these edges and surfaces may; be parallel, j} i i i if desired. Eacha se meut-pl ate fl mutiny. makein-lengtlrequal toab tone-seventh ofi the circumferenceofth'e run er aud two sections-of teethf ih each se number of ,sectionsgm'aybe increas isa correspondingseries o? w let into and securedinlau ann 'a in the under surface of a circular plate larger diameterthanthe runner ,1thatits edg 1 l may be secured by suitable means' such as screws or bolts-to the upper end of the frame.

. The under surface of this plate, from the outer periphery thereof to the inner periphery of the segment-plates, is a hollow core the reverse of the runner, and provided in like manner with segment-plates, with teeth similar to those on the runner, and from the inner periphery of the segment-plates inward it is curved, and then forms a short cylinder, as at n, to form the eye, and provided with arms 0 and aicentral hub, 12, in the bore of which the upper, journal of the shaft c'is 'fitted to turn, a

conical cap-plate, q, being secured thereto to deflect thecotton-seed and guide it properly from any suitablehopper into the eye of this plate, which corresponds with the upper fixed grinder of a mill. The upper part, 1*, of the frame I prefer to make of metal, secured to the wooden frame, unless the entire frame be made of metal. The upper surface of this part of the frame forms a circular trough, s, in which bottom of the trough, without touching it, to

drag what is collected in the trough and discharge it at the spout, from whence it is conducted to a suitable receptacle. The surface of this trough is conical, like the run ner, and extends inward about as faras the inner periphery of the segmentplates of the runner, leaving an open space between it and the under part of the runner for the passage of a current of air, which is forced into this trough and passes in at the periphery between .the runner and plate n, to check the discharge of the seed, the top of thetrough being closed, as represented, to cause the current of air to pass up between the runner and the plate n. The under surface of the runner is provided -with radial arms '0, to act as vanes, and extending from 'the hub to within a short distance of the inner periphery of the trough, to

,blow a current of air into the trough below the runner. The cotton-seed to be hulled is fed into the eye, falls onto the conical surface of the runner, and is carried by the inclination of that surface, aided by centrifugul force due to the rotation outward, until it reaches the teeth on the segmentplates. It first enters the spaces between the long teeth 1 of the runner, and is by them carried around under the inner ends of the corresponding long teeth of the upper plate,- the edges of which cut into the hull and strip it off without cutting into the wax;like kernel; and as the inclination of the teeth above and below cross each other 1 the seed is carried in the furrows between the ,teeth, this action having the effect to turn the seeds as they are carried outward to present in turn every part of thehullto thestripping action of the teethabove and below; and as the distance of the runner fromth'e surface the kernels to roll in the furrows between the teeth, the hull is all stripped off without crushing or cutting the kernels, which are delivered, with the fragments of hull, into the surrounding trough, from whence they are dragged to and discharged from the spout at i. The seed, when the hull is strippedofi, is very liable to stick, by reason of its wax-like nature, and readily yields its contained oil when subjected to pressure or attrition. In consequence of these properties the trough would soon become clogged and the machine be thereby stopped and the seed injured. This is prevented by the current of air which is forced into the trough by the vanes or wings 2) below the runner, the current thus induced at all times keeping the kernels and hull in the outer portion of the trough, that the wings u may discharge them through the spout before any accumulation takes place, such as would induce clogging. The current of air thus forced in and passing around the periphery of the runner checks the movement of the seeds and hulls, and thus effectually prevents the too rapid discharge. The inclination of the conical surface of the runner is important to insure the supply of the seed to the teeth,

and this, together with the inclination of the opposing set of teeth, would cause the seed, when stripped of the hull, to be delivered too soon; but this is checked by the current of air before described.

tures above described are important to insure the best result, I do not wish to be understood as limiting my claims of invention to the use of all of them in combination, as a good result may be obtained, notwithstanding the omission of some of them-such, for instance, as the making of the teeth of different lengthand it may be found that some of the essential features may be replaced by other and equivalent means.

Instead of making the teeth on segmentplates fitted and secured to the runner and the plate above, they may be made directly on these surfaces; but the cost of original construction will be seriously increased-thereby, and the cost of repairs increased in much greater proportion, as the edges of the teeth soon become worn, and if made part of the runner and the plate above, these will have to be renewed frequently, instead of simply renewing the segment-plates, which can be readily done and at little cost.

I am aware that mills or machines have been made prior to my said invention for the purposes of grinding bark, and for crushing and grinding corn, and also for crushing and grinding other substances, consisting of two surfaces armed with teeth and with interposed furrows, and in some instances with long cutting-edges having interposed furrows, and that in some instances the teeth and the cutting-edges have been arranged flat, and

of the plate above is adjusted so as to permit I would remark that although all the feaalso on conical surfaces; but in all such instances the teeth or the cutting-edges and the interposed furrows have not been adapted to or been made suitable for the purpose of hulling cotton-seed; and therefore I do not wish to be understood as making claim, broadly, to the employment of two surfaces formed with rings of teeth and interposed furrows, or oppositely-- inclined cutting edges with interposed furrows, but limit my claims of invention, as hereinafter specified. Nor do I wish to be understood as claiming, broadly, the combination of a surrounding trough or curb with a runner and plate armed with teeth to receive the material as discharged from the grinding or cutting surfaces, as a trough or curb has been so employed in mills for grinding corn and other substances.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters,Patent, isl 1. Making the runner with the surface next to the shaft smooth to receive the cotton-seeds from a suitable hopper, and cause them to be properly distributed thereon and to be carried toward the periphery, and with that part of the surface within the periphery and outside of the smooth part armed with teeth in the form of long cutting-edges, having c011 tinuous channels or furrows between them of sufiicient size to receive a cotton-seed and permit it to pass and roll therein, substantially as described, in combination with an upper plate surrounding the eye or aperture for the a passage of the cotton-seed to the smooth part a a of the surface of therunner, the under surface j of the said plate being parallel with the sur-w l I face of the runner and armed with 1 aring of: I 15 l teeth in the form of long cutting-edgesfand y, formed with interposed channels or furrows, 1 similar to those of the runner, 1but of reversed inclination, substantially as and for the pin t pose specified. y i 2. Making the saidteethof longcutting edges and surrounding the smooth surface of l of varying lengths as described 3 that is, having some of them approachingthe shaft nearer than others-that the seeds,while it the smooth surface; of a V the runner, may arrange themselves and prop 1- erly enter the furrows or channels one by one,;

the runner,

traveling outward on as described.

3. Surrounding the periphery the ner and upper plate with a troughwhich extends within the periphery of j the runner, 1 leaving an open space or air-passage between, substantially as described,in combination with i i the vanes or equivalent means forblowingin I a y a current of air, substantiallyas and for the y purposes specified.

Witnesses: 7

WM. H. BIsnoP, ANDREW DE LAGY. 

